Furnace for stills, etc.



G. w. KING 1,881,667

FURNACE FOR STILLS, ETC

Filed Aug. 4. 192s s sheets-sheet S.. HQ .ANVI

Oct. l1, 1932.

l NVENTOR @ya ATTORNEYS Oct. 11, 1932. G.,w. KING FURNACE FOR STILLS, ETC

Filed Aug. 4. 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEYS Oct. 1l, 1932. G. w. KING 1,881,657

FURNACE FOR STILLS, ETC

Filed Aug. 4. 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented oct. 11,1932

GEORGE wQKI'NG, OF OOFEEYVILLE, KANsAs, AssIGNOR OF FIVE-EIGHTHS To ROY T.

osB'OKN, on BRONXVILLE, NEW YOKK,AN1 "oNE-FOURTH To WALLACE E. BEOKNER,

OF OOFFEYVILLE, KANsAs FURNAOK non sTILLs, nro.

Application filed August 4, 1928. Serial No. 297,506.

My invention relates tofurnace settings Y for boilers, stills and the like. It is particular advantage vin connection with oil stills having the usual horizontal cylindrical boil* 5 er,` and is described hereinafter in relation thereto. In operating oil stills, much di Aculty and trouble is rexperienced by reason of Vlocal overheating. Ordinarily, the Haines to evenly distribute the flames, the still is apt to become overheatedin some yportion of its surface, though in other portions, atthe same time,it isnot receiving as much heat VV as efficient operation demands. rIhe oil directly over the areas Vso overheated is thereby subjected yto Ldestructive distillation to a much greater extent than the oil over they less heated portions of the boilerl whereby carbon is vcausedto yaccumulate in the area of high temperature, and `the accumulation of the carbon, which is a relatively poor conductor of heat, to an extent insulates the metal of the still from the` cooling eect of the oil Awhereby the lcontinued heating overheats the metal of the still tovr such a degree that it is apt to buckle or bulge downwardly under the weight of the oil. Furthermore, as the oil distills` off y,and the level'thereof in the still orboiler falls, the side portionsof the still Labove the boiling liquid ylevel and exposed to the heat are no longer subject to the coolinginfluence of the oil andhence they are apt to be overheated with similar injuri- 35 ousresults This-is'particularly true in running to coke, in which operation the final resi- .due is only a relatively small proportion of the original body of'oil. 'It is an object of my invention to provide a furnace for'this 4Q 4purpose in which the application 'and distribution of the heat to the boiler or still body M may be readily controlled at all times, dif

rect impingement of the products of combustion and flame upon the .boiler minimized 4orprevented andthe heat more evenly and efliciently distributed thus largely obviating the troubles due to local overheating. Itis a furtherV ObjectV to provide for readily adjusting the degree ori-amount `of heat applied to 5-odi''erent areas along .the ,still vso that in the from the lire box impinge directly on the boil-vA er bottom and sides and, as it is impossible event it is desired for any reason; to increase or diminish the heating effect over one area, this may be done without substantially a'ecting the otherareas of the boiler exposed to heat. f

l/Vith this object in view, I employ a series of two or more flreboxes arranged at intervals alongand beneath the boiler'and mounted for independent vertical adjustment, so that they may be raised or lowered as the operating conditions from time to time may dictate to vary the heating eect on the areas immediately above the respective fireboxes, and I also provide-for so controlling the outflow of gases from the heating chamber at different points yalong the sides of the boiler as to, regulate the heat applied thereto above the level of the contents thereof.

Another object of the invention is economy in battery operation. Ordinarily, the stills vof a battery are arranged side by side and so Operated that they may be successively charged, fired andcleaned out for a new charge. After a run is completed, a still must be cooled down to approximately atmospheric temperature to permit the operatives to remove the coke and prepare it for a new charge. When the still is again fired, much time and fuel are consumed in heating to operating temperatures, partly because of the necessity of again heating up the lire box. My invention provides for removing the highly heated iirebox or iireboxes from a still, the run of which hasbeen completed, to a still which is readyto be tired, thus permitting a more rapid cooling of the one and obviating the necessity of heating'up a iirebox or lireboxes for the other.

Other features of lmy invention will ap pear from the detailed description and claims; y invention, however, is not limited to oil stills nor to the speciic construction disclosed as it is intended to cover it herein as broadly 'as the state of the art will permit.

Referring to the drawings accompanying and forming a part of this speciication Figure l is a vertical central longitudinal section through a still embodying my invention, parts being shown in elevation;

Figure 2 is a transverse vertical section Y of Figure'2`.

thereof on the plane of line 2-2 of Figure 1; and Y oneof the iireboxes on the plane of line Fig; 4 is a'diagrammatic front elevation i- 'i ofva battery of stills, showing a furnace being moved from one still to another.

Each part is "identied by the several views.

Except in the respects hereinafterpointed out, the still or boiler 4 is or may be supported inthe usual manner,'"at ab'outitshoril 1 5 Zontal diameter, in a setting comprising sidev ywalls 5, frontend Awall 6 andreary end wall 7.'V A The setting is formed with a heating chamber 8 which lmay be formed offrire brick boxes may be employed. y The'openings are of suflicient sizeto permit the flreboxes to be i z-lfreely raised and lowered therethrough but at the same time to prevent undue passage of air therethrough around the ireboxes. Walls or pillars 12,12 at the respective ends ofthe still assistin supporting it. yAccess to Athe 3uiv interior of the still maybehad through the tubular' extension 1 4 thereof Vextending through the front ywall. of the furnace. .A

removable cover v is applied to the end of the extension.'VV Y Y The lireboxes 11,' here vs'hownfas'two in' number, may be made of fire brick orany suitable heat-resisting material with 'proper reinforcing.- VThey are shown as rectangular,

comprising side vwallsand bottomsand the.VV 40 tops thereof arecomposed'of brick checker workf17 supported'on the'walls `of the' fire box and on arches 18 extending lbetween the sidewalls of therebox and suitably spaced tov permit the Ipassingfof theproducts lof ywhich four areshown for each firebox, pro

ject through the side walls thereof4 and are connectedftojbu'rner .pipes 40. L The burners -,aresupplied with fuel gas from two pipes l 20 arranged in recesses in the inner. sides of or otherwise,that they may be readily disconnected therefrom.V l

lEachfi'rebox is mounted on a carriage 22 provided with wheels 23, for a purpose'which The furnacesettingis'of suiiicient height to provide aV chamber 28 beneath the iioor Vof* the heating'ch'amber into which the 'lireboxes mayV be lowered vand chamber 28 .is 165K formed"with an :openingor doorway 27 p y i I i same refer-J 10 encecharacter wherever it appears 1n `the Ythrough which the fireboxes may beremoved f and inserted. i' Figure 3 is a horizontal section through For raisingtor lowering and adjusting, the fireboxes, a pair of hydraulic cylinders 24, 24

may be employed, .the piston rodsof which `carry at' their upper ends crossheads 25,

shownin elevated position in full lines and in lowered position in dotted lines in Figure'y 1, Athe oppositeendsof which are notched at 26 to receive the axlesA ofthe wheels23 ofthe irebox carriages.

The floor 29,0f chamber28 is provided with a pair ofrails 30 which, preferably, extend through the opening27"." The construction is such that the lireboxes Von'their carriagescan .be run vonto the rails and so locatedwith re-v spectito'the'hydraulic cylinders thatthe axles 'v ofthe wheels 23 will oyerlie the"notches=26 in thecrossheads on 'the'V hydraulic cylinder plungers; Thus, when a c rosshead-risesitY will carry with Yit-the carriage andfiirebox locatedabove it, lifting them from the'rails andraising the firebox yto proper position within the heating chamber. The articulated supply pipe or pipes may then'fbe coupled to the burners..

In'usual refinery practice rthe stillsare'ar'- i.

ranged inV batteriesof a number` of'stills arranged in a row parallel to each other. After the di'stillation'of a charge is completed/it is necessaryto letfthe still Cool downV after which the coke or other residue is discharged n from a still before itis again charged. `rI ar- Y range a car V31 onk tracks 32 extending along 'in front of such a battery of stills, the car `being provided with a pair of tracks 33 extending transversely to the path of movementof the car and at vsuch height vthat they may be brought'into registry with any'of the tracks 30, `above-mentioned, of the respective 4 furnaces V`rof. the battery. lVhena distilling operation in one still of the battery `is completed, .the ireboxes,which have'been furnishing the heat therefor, maybe disconnected from the' fuel pipes 20,A lowered byy the' hydraulic means described until the wheels of the carriages rest on the tracks 30, run onto the tracks' 33 of the car 311 andtransferred to another still of the battery which has previously-been charged and is ready for operaj tion, as shown' in Fig. 4. As the liireboxes with-their checker work haveV considerable heatstoring `(capacity, ,there'-is V'thus transferred tothe new distill'ing peration'fa largef e l.120

amount of heat remaining 1n thefireboxes from the finished operation, thus saving the time which would otherwise'be necessary-'to heat up the iireboxes and the fuel kwhich othery wise would be spent'for this purpose. Furthermore, the removal of the hot fireboxes permitsthe still to cool odmore rapidly.A

The ireboxes are of sufc-ient size toffurnish ample combustionk spaceand the checkerwork V1 prevents direct impingement'ofthe flames on-V the lboiler and, because fofitsheat-storing capacity, permits more even heating. By reason of the coniined combustion chamber, the iireboX may be quickly heated up to a tern'- perature at which all smoke is consumed.

Moreover, the ireboXes may be readily adj usted toward and from the boiler, independently of each other, as operating conditions demand. l

Side flues 34, at suitable intervals in the side walls of the setting, at their u per' ends, as at 35, open into the heating ciamber on opposite sides of and adjacent to the plane of support of the boiler. At their lower ends, the side lues open into stack flues 36 leading to stack 37. Dampers 38 in the respective side flues control the escape of gases therethrough, and by properly setting the dampers the desired' amount of heat may be at all times furnished the sides of the boiler above the level of material therein.

I claim:

l. In a still of the class described, a boiler, a setting in which. the boiler is mounted, there being a heating chamber formed in the setting below the boiler, the liloor of said chamber being formed with openings therethrough, fireboxes movable through said openings, and means for supporting and moving said reboxes through said openings.

2. In a still of the class described, a boiler, a setting on which the boiler is mounted, there being a heating chamber beneath the boiler in said setting the floor of which is formed with openings therethrough, fireboXes extending into said openings, and means for independently raising and lowering the iireboxes.

- 3. In a still of the class described, a boiler, a setting on which the boiler is mounted, there being a heating chamber in the s etting beneath the boiler in the floor of which openings are formed, a carrier for each firebox, a crosshead for engaging each carrier and raising and lowering it with the fireboX thereon, and means for reciprocating the crosshead.

4C. In a still of the class described, a boiler, a setting on which the boiler is mounted, there being a heating chamber in the setting beneath the boiler and the floor of the heating chamber having openings therethrough, a iir'ebox reciprocable in each opening, a carrier for the Firebox, a hydraulic cylinder, and

means operated by the hydraulic cylinder for raising and lowering the ireboX.

5. In a still of the class described, a boiler, a setting on which the boiler is mounted, there being a heating chamber in the setting below the boiler and openings through the floor of said chamber, a reboX reciprocable in each opening, means for raising and lowering the iirebox, burners in the ireboX, fuel supply pipes in the setting and flexible connections between said supply pipes and burners.

6. In a still of the class described, a boiler, a setting on which the boiler is mounted, there being a heating chamber beneath the boiler in the setting, and openings in the floor of said chamber, a irebox movably mounted in each opening, means for moving the ireboXes, burners in each iirebox, means for supplying the burners with fuel and checker work mounted on each rebox above the burners.

7. In a still of the class described, a boiler, a setting on which the boiler is mounted, independently movable reboxes beneath the boiler and independent means for raising and lowering the respective freboxes.

8. In a still of the class described, a boiler, a setting on which the boiler is mounted, there being a heating chamber in the setting beneath the boiler, the floor of the chamber having an opening therethrough, a irebox vertically movable through said opening, a carrier on ,which the iireboX is mounted, means for engaging the carrier for raising and lowering the same with the ireboX thereon, and a track beneath the heating chamber on which said iireboX is movable when lowered thereon by said raising and lowering means.

9. A battery of stills of the class described, each still having a boiler, a setting on which the boiler is mounted, there being a heating chamber in the setting beneath the boiler, the floor of the chamber having an opening therein, a irebox, a wheeled carrier on which the irebox is mounted, means beneath said opening :for raising and lowering said carrier with the ireboX, tracks beneath the still adapted to receive the wheels of said carrier, a track extending along the battery of stills and a car on said track adapted to receive a carrier from the tracks of one still of the battery and to transport it to a position to engage the tracks of another still of the battery.

In testimony whereof, I have subscribed my name.

GEORGE W. KING. 

